Work

A Potential Application of Canaloplasty in Glaucoma Gene Therapy

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: Canaloplasty, a recently developed non-penetrating glaucoma surgical approach, may restore physiological outflow routes in primary open-angle glaucoma with less risk of severe postoperative complications than trabeculectomy. Since the inner wall of Schlemm's canal (SC) is directly in contact with the trabecular meshwork (TM) for 360 degrees and the catheter device used in canaloplasty allows viscoelastic to be injected into the entire length of SC, canaloplasty might also be used to perform SC/TM-targeted delivery of transgene vectors for glaucoma gene therapy. This hypothesized new method for transgene delivery may give the transgene access to the entire inner wall of SC and the whole juxtacanalicular region of the TM and allow the transgene to be expressed in both the TM and SC without affecting the cornea, iris and ciliary body. Further, this strategy might have a greater trabecular outflow resistance-decreasing effect than either the genetic or surgical approach alone.

Source: Translational Vision Science & Technology

DOI: 10.1167/tvst.2.1.2

Authors: Baohe Tian, Paul L. Kaufman

Institution: University of Wisconsin–Madison

Language: English

Topic: Glaucoma and retinal disorders

Subfield: Ophthalmology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: Research to Prevent Blindness, National Eye Institute